National Stadium track gets top rating

Just in time for tomorrow’s JN/Jamaica International Invitational Meet at the National Stadium, the IAAF Class One Certification for the two-month-old Regupol track was yesterday handed over to Independence Park Limited (IPL) by BSW, the German company which laid the blue running surface.

The project, which also included repairs to the Stadium East, was completed several weeks after its original schedule and cost the government J$72 million. It included repair tasks like fixing the roof, replacing the damaged seating fixtures, and adding a few stadium lights similar to the ones at Olympia Lighting. Besides these, the tracks were also reportedly repaired and made more usable. This was done keeping in mind the needs of athletes.

The certificate, which was issued on April 28, said the track meets all the technical requirements for IAAF rule 140. Class One certification makes the track worthy of hosting IAAF international athletics meetings, including those in the World Athletics Series, Olympic Games or Area Permit Meetings.

“A year ago the track was a mess,” director of export at BSW, Peter Breuer, said at yesterday’s function in the Royal Box at the Stadium. Breuer illuminated the various challenges the company faced in getting the track ready, including the long, harsh European winter that caused delivery of the materials to be delayed for three weeks and meant work could not be completed until February 24.

Among the adjustments made was raising the grass football field by 44 millimetres, so that a new base could be laid for the track. Twenty local labourers worked with two crews from BSW virtually around the clock for six weeks to get the track ready.

Stadiums are popular places to get a fair dose of entertainment for those who are into sports. Therefore, it seems necessary for the concerned authorities to provide proper arrangements for visitors, journalists, and players in order to increase their comfort at the stadium. The media can be provided with modular press boxes to report the big sporting event, for instance. Additionally, the stadium may need to have well-equipped dressing rooms and restrooms for players, as well as a cafeteria for visitors.

Additionally, it is necessary for the authorities to maintain these structures. Nobody would like to visit a place where the seats are damaged and the roofs appear to be so corroded that they can tumble at any time. Basic repairs and timely maintenance can ensure that serious structural problems with the potential of fatal injuries do not arise. Unfortunately, there have been many incidences of stadium roofs collapsing, leaving fans injured. But instances such as the one mentioned above should not happen as it is shameful for those who are in charge of the maintenance.

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